Threes:
I say that the Jazz shot too many 3s…but I just took a look at the box score and I have to change that to DWill shot too many 3s–he was 1 of 7. I don’t think I was the only cringing when the Jazz tied the game in the 4th and DWill tried to shoot the Jazz’ way into the lead. It didn’t pan out, obviously. If the Bucks hadn’t gone 1-16 from 3 (Redd went 1-9), it would have been a blowout.

Sap:
Sap’s double-double streak ended at 15, possibly because he got injured in the first quarter. He had to be carried off the court and was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair as Jazz fans everywhere (i.e. the state of Utah and me) were overcome with horror. Sap is a warrior. He came back to the bench right before halftime and played the entire second half.

Sap: “I felt a little weak. I felt like I was playing on one leg. I tried to run and tried to jump off it. I tried to play defense. But, it’s a man’s game out there. My team needed me, and I came back and tried to help.” [source]

I’d gotten up at 7 a.m. for the pre-game show but was so tired that I fell back asleep and missed the first quarter–so I didn’t see Sap’s injury. But according to David Locke on the post-game show, it was “eerily similar” to Boozer’s.

Watching Sap, Boozer should be ashamed every second he is breathing the same air as Sap. If that had been Boozer tonight, it would have not only been so serious that he would not only have to sit out for a month, but it would no doubt develop into three or four subsequent injuries. Heart, hustle, team first-ness–Boozer can’t hold Sap’s jock.

Although Jerry was responding to a question about Sap when he said, “If you like to play, you like to play. You get up and play,” there is no doubt in my mind he was talking about Boozer at the same time. Jerry also spoke my mind when he said, “That looked like streetball to me, the way we played. We come out, and guys are trying to get shots off from 20 feet — and there’s no chance to rebound it. Paul Millsap can’t get all of ’em.”

Note:
Memo: “My back hurts every day,” even when the Jazz aren’t playing. “It’s always there for me, since I was 18.” [source]

Linkage:This blog entry by Gabe Muoneke (of Jazz training camp fame) on getting jumped by a gang of Chinese basketball players (including the captain of the national team) is a few weeks old, but well worth reading. I’m only quoting the Jazz-related part here, but the whole thing is a very good read.

Unfortunately for me, my plan of signing early in Europe didn’t work out and after NBA cuts all Euro jobs are filled. Sorry, I wasn’t passing up a vet camp with Jerry Sloan for anything. So if I had to do it again, I would. Yes, I knew they had 15 contracts before I went and didn’t care. I went there for longer-lasting reasons.